First time build, any tips? Is my list complete?

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spongywhale

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I have ordered the parts for my first gaming pc after decades of console gaming . I am a little nervous as the build day approaches. Any tips, particularly on how to avoid bending pins, what tools I may need and do I have all the parts now? Everything is new and retail boxed.

I5 4460
Sapphire Nitro R9 380 4GBP
XFX Seasonic 550w bronze psu
GA-Z97-D3 mobo
2x4gb Corsair vengeance 1866 ram
1tb seagate barracuda sata hdd
DVD rw drive
Thermaltake h22 midi case
Windows 7 pro 64 bit
Sumvision keyboard and mouse set.

I have saved a while for this and don't want to screw it up now...


 
Solution
Darkbreeze
That motherboard only supports x4 speeds on the second x16 slot, so if adding a second card for Crossfire down the road is something you might want to do, I'd choose a different model. It also does not support SLI, but since you're using an AMD graphics card that's irrelevant unless you make a change.
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StormBrew

StormBrew

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If you don't plan on upgrading to a "K" CPU then I would go with the H97 Motherboards. I made a few revisions, but overall it looks very good!
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($176.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.65 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($45.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 380 4GB Nitro Video Card ($223.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H22 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($58.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 OEM (64-bit) ($86.75 @ OutletPC)
Total: $766.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-23 18:50 EDT-0400

The only reason I added the CPU Cooler is because it will be less noisy than the stock cooler, but totally up to you.
 
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CreationP

CreationP

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You just need normal screwdrivers. ( The cross ones, don't know the name). Nothing else in case of tools.

Also, get 1-2 sata cables. They break easily and some times hdds and mobos don't come with enough to connect all parts. They are very cheap and very usefull.

The best advise I can give you is to use latex gloves to handle the parts, keep them of wool surfaces, rags etc. DO NOT throw away the bags of the mobo and the GPU as they are antistatic and they might be of help. You can use them to place the mobo and other parts on them before putting them on the tower. DO NOT leave the parts in wool surfaces, especially the mobo. Make sure you wear shoes and touch the tower for 5-10 secs before handling parts with bare hands in order to ground excess electricity from your body. Usually this is the one that does all the problems.

Never change parts without closing the PSU and removing it from the plug.

Buy an air spray can that you will need and it would be a good idea to buy an aftermarket cpu paste to replace the one that comes with.

That's pretty much all the info you need. I suppose you know how to build a pc so I skip this part.
 
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Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

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There is nothing wrong with using the Z series board with a locked chip. There are many reasons to do so. In fact, he has one of them in his build. You can't use higher speed RAM than 1600mhz with B85, H81 or H97, so it's the right board choice for 1866mhz or higher.

You also can't get full x8 dual card speeds in crossfire, or SLI at all, with any of those other chipsets, so if he plans to add a second card down the road, again, it's the right choice. I'm confused on the board model though. Is it an Z97P-D3, HD3 or D3H. I don't believe there are any Z97-D3 boards.

A standard #2 screwdriver is usually the only tool needed for an entire build. If you're adding an aftermarket cooler, sometimes maybe a pair of needle nose pliers might come in handy depending on the cooler model. For a stock cooler, it's not needed.
 
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StormBrew

StormBrew

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Fair enough point.
 
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spongywhale

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I chose the z97 over the h97 purely as it is cheaper in the UK. The case is cheap, but I thought that in order to keep in budget, I would save my money there rather than on anything else. I will grab a good thermal paste then, as well.
Great tips, just as I expected. I do however, have no idea how to build it yet, I will rely on YouTube and toms on the day.
 
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CreationP

CreationP

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Building it is the easiest thing to do. The little secrets I told you are the hard part to know without someone telling you.

I will tell you the order of how I build PCs:

1: Case open
2: CPU inserted in Mobo
3: Mobo inserted in tower
3a: Little front panel and power button cables connected in mobo (see manual)
4: Ram inserted in mobo
5: PSU inserted in tower
6: PSU plugs in mobo
7: HDDs and drivers inserted
8: Plugs of PSU in drivers and hdds
8a: Hdds and drivers plugged in mobo (Sata)
9: Add PCI cards
10: Close Tower
11: Insert in wall plug
12: Enjoy!
 
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Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

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That motherboard only supports x4 speeds on the second x16 slot, so if adding a second card for Crossfire down the road is something you might want to do, I'd choose a different model. It also does not support SLI, but since you're using an AMD graphics card that's irrelevant unless you make a change.
 
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Solution
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spongywhale

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Awesome, I thank you both so much. I went on the ps4 forums a while ago to get advice on hdcp issues. It was not helpful, I was called a British maggot and a noon. It seems I am reaping the rewards of pc gaming before I have the pc.
 
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Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

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Tom's isn't the #1 tech hardware site in the world for nothing. Anytime you need help, just ask. You'll get real help with real issues here. Or just real answers to questions that concern you. Half our members are UK, India, Australia or Canadian members, plus a good number of EU members as well, and we don't play that regional garbage. Members are members, period.
 
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spongywhale

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Super. I will stick with my mobo I think. I think this pc will last me a good while as it is, no plans to upgrade for some time.It will be a minecraftnpc for my girl most of the time and I will end up playing older strategy and rpg games anyway mainly, although I needed enough power for witcher 3 @ 1080p to be better than the ps4 version. Sold that machine and don't want to look back.
 
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